Your truck takes care of you, bringing you to and from the worksite, storing your equipment and hauling the biggest loads. Take care of your truck with these handy hints and modifications.
How to Make a Truck Flag
American How-To Editor Tom Sweeney drove off with his pickup’s tailgate down so many times that he finally bent a wire-mounted underground utilities flag to fit around the tonneau cover and duct-taped it to the side of the tailgate. Now if he sees the flag in his rearview mirror, he knows he isn’t leaving a trail of tools in his wake. Tom didn’t get $100 for his tip, but he did earn the appreciation of the Minnesota State Patrol.
Making Use of Extra Wood
How many extra 2x4s have you purchased just to support long molding strips or pipe during the ride home from the store? Jason Knisely of Yukon, Oklahoma, (via e-mail) cut a 12-ft. 2x4 to fit inside his truck bed and then reattached the remaining piece with a hinge. He added two barrel bolt latches to the sides opposite the hinge to keep the 2x4 support extended when in use. Jason leaves the folded 2x4 in his truck bed so it’s ready to take on a supporting role at any time
How to Make a Truck Tool Rack
To keep landscaping tools from rolling around in the bed of his truck, Club member Gene Burke of Thousand Palms, California, constructed this ingenious storage rack. He mounted two slats, one with holes drilled through it to accept the tools’ handles and one with clips to hold the tools’ heads, to the ceiling of his truck’s topper. The slats securely store a half-dozen tools up out of sight and help keep the truck bed clear for hauling bulky items. If you replicate this design, be sure to use clips that are strong enough to handle the weight of the tools you intend to store.
Trailer Hitch Tip
To protect his vehicle from accidental damage when he attaches a trailer, Club member Eugene Yavorski of Palm Coast, Florida, came up with this modification. He welded a 3/8-in.-thick x 3 x 6-in. steel plate to the top of the hitch. Now he doesn’t have to worry about the trailer tongue accidentally punching a hole in his bumper cover during hook-up.
How to Protect a Rear Window
To keep materials from damaging the rear window of his pickup, Club member Wayne Schatzle of Hamilton, Ohio, modified his cargo rack to better protect the cab’s glass. By fastening a section of Lexan to the rack’s framework, he minimizes the risk of materials’ slamming into the cab’s rear window.
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